Sorry for the delay. After some rewrites and tweaking, this chapter got reposted. That said, let's continue with the story. :)
As soon as Janus left Pan's house, Jock quietly, but quickly, followed Janus through the fairy forest. It was quaint and pleasant, seeing them together. Janus looked at Jock rather fondly, wondering what was going on in his mind. But, even then, Jock's curiosity towards her could not be quenched. Jock smirked, gently brushing up against her shoulder in an act of playfulness. Jock smiled at her, coyly loving the way she moved, the way her eyes seemed so bright and cheerful.
Jock sighed, admirably, for he hadn't seen such a beauty as Janus. And Janus blushed in exchange, giggling at the way they ran through the woods, chasing each other's tails and laughing merrily. Eventually, Jock and Janus tumbled across the forest floor, landing in a heap with Janus on top of Jock. Their eyes locked.
It was in this moment that Janus recalled her place, and quietly stood up, but not before helping Jock get off the ground, too.
Janus pointed in the direction towards the dirt path, the same path their friends were taking. "We should go. Our friends are waiting." She ran off, before another word was spoken.
And yet, all Jock could muster were the phrases, "Right. We should. Janus? Janus, wait!" Jock ran up to Janus, careening into her as they straightened themselves up. "I'm sorry! I'm terribly sorry about this!"
"No, it's fine, Jock!" Janus stated, brushing herself off, while gazing into his eyes.
For a moment, Jock fell for those eyes, drowning in ecstasy. It wasn't until he snapped out of it, did he point out, "Um… we should go. Yeah, that's right!" He wandered off after Helen and Maximus.
Janus looked at Jock, surprised by his behavior. "No, it's fine. It's fine, really." She smirked at Jock, even as Helen grabbed her attention with fair, but harsh words:
"Janus, where have you been? Come. The Cave to the Underworld awaits!" Helen stated, beyond belief that anyone would want to venture into the Caves again. But, if this must be the way of it, then so be it.
.
The second Janus left the fairy forest, all around her, her world shifted. The air got fresher, the sky brighter, and all the colours started to show up throughout the training grounds, for the Jedi Temple stood out the most against the mountainside. For it was so the Jedi Temple and its training grounds were situated in a valley, amidst a mountain range, circling the valley and making the Jedi Temple stand out amidst a vast, green, grassy region.
Waterfalls encircled the area, while a pool of water stood out towards one end of the training grounds, where the waterfalls lay. Here, Janus was, about to do something big, something grand to cover her journey, her quest, her adventure. And she hardly knew what she was up against, let alone what she was doing here.
Surely, she and her companions reached the enormous Cave, leading to the Underworld, and it was already grander than anything Janus had recalled seeing.
"Did this cave get bigger?" Janus asked, wondering why the Cave's entrance looked so vast.
"Come now!" Helen shook her head, tilting her head to the side as they approached the Cave's entrance. "The Underworld awaits!"
"Is she always this intimidating?" Jock spoke up at once to Janus, courteously. Still, Jock had an inkling Helen's feelings were hurt. Jock smirked at Helen, approaching her and saying to her, in a form of apology, "I'm sorry. Not that you're intimidating."
Helen smirked a dragonoid smirk at him. "Don't push it. And besides, maybe Sith and Jedi can get along." Helen sighed, resting a scaly purple hand against Jock's shoulders, "Don't worry. I know you mean well. You're better Sith than most. Most Sith won't even look you in eye. It's their nature."
Jock sighed, smiling at her, "Yeah, I figured they were. Not that I mind. I am a Sith dog."
"A dalmatian!" Janus stated, quite giddily.
Jock smirked, laughing up a storm. He faced Janus, telling her, "Yes, well that, too." Helen released her hand off Jock's shoulders, as the male dalmatian scurried off into the cave, "Well, come now, ladies, gentleman! Let's get this task done!"
Maximus panted, for he was very excited to get this task done. "Maybe now, you can tell me what's troubling you! I would like to know!" Maximus cried, leaving Jock to laugh merrily.
"I'm looking forward to it! Let's get this job done!" Jock stated from inside the Cave.
Helen looked around, before facing Janus. She sighed, telling her, "Are you ready? Let's go find that artifact."
Janus sighed, following Helen into the Cave. "Yes, let's do that."
.
Janus meandered her way down into the Cave. The entrance was much bigger than she remembered. The Cave's entrance wound in an oval shape, heading straight for three separate tunnels. One of these tunnels, sounding in a low, deep, guttural noise, coming from the middle tunnel, lurked the new Cerberus.
He must be new! Janus could smell him! But she didn't recall the middle tunnel smelling so bad. It smelled of wet dog and slime. A dangerous combination.
Helen joined Janus, wondering where their companions ran off to. It wasn't until Jock and Maximus showed up from the opposite end of the midway tunnel did Janus grow nervous.
"Come on! This way!" Jock called, gesturing with a paw for her and Helen to follow.
"Come on," Helen said, luring the female dalmatian away from her fears.
"But Maximus… the new Cerberus… I-I-I can't do it," Janus lowered her head, fearing the worst should happen.
Helen shook her head. Placing a scaly purple hand against Janus' shoulder, Helen told her, firmly but motherly, "I know. It's all right. I'll be with you. Jock and Maximus will be with you, too." Helen smirked at her, fondly, "Don't worry. You have nothing to fear."
"But the new Cerberus could bite us. Master Yuvon warned us he would do this," Janus said, referring to 'he' as the new Cerberus.
Helen chortled, bluntly, "Come on. What's the worst that should happen?"
They paused. At which, Helen shrugged and moved forward down the middle tunnel, "Oh, come now! What's the worst that should happen to us?" She repeated. It still didn't convince Janus, with her shaky hind legs, to move forward. Helen huffed, telling her at the bottom of the tunnel. "Oh, come on! You're not that scared, are you?" Helen chuckled, at which Janus snapped at her. Helen jumped a little, mentioning to her rather loudly, "Oh, come now! It's not that bad!"
Maximus whined! The new Cerberus growled deeply, starling him. Maximus whimpered, turning to the tunnel, while looking up at Janus, "Come on, Janus. We need those panpipes to put this new Cerberus to sleep! Where were you when you put me to sleep, using those panpipes? Hmm? Do you remember how brave you were?"
Janus shook her head. "No!" She screamed, "I was terrified, as I am now!"
"Oh, relax. Face your fear! We're here!" Jock stated, trying to encourage her.
Janus insisted on going back, but the very thought of confronting the Jedi with news of her failure overwhelmed her. Janus sighed. She had no choice. She took a few steps, before tumbling down the tunnel, entering the new Cerberus' chamber. The panpipes dented a little bit, but they worked out fine.
Jock grabbed Janus' panpipes, fixing the dent and giving the panpipes back to her. Jock smirked, as she stood up, admiring her. "Now, go on. Let's put this new Cerberus to sleep."
Janus sighed. She was afraid of this. She didn't expect that time would be now. "Okay," she inhaled, exhaling, "here I go." She lifted the panpipes, readying her paws to play her tune. It was a tune that would soon make all three of the new Cerberus' heads fall asleep, especially after two of those heads began to bite her.
Janus scurried to one side and the other, dodging the heads before she wound up with bite marks. One of the new Cerberus' teeth scraped her skin. It was bruised, but it wasn't bad. Some white spotted fur did cleave off into the air, where the tooth scrape was located. She tried again, playing her tune.
Eventually, a beautiful sound came forth from the panpipes. It was one of true beauty. And it was enough to send the new Cerberus to sleep.
Janus looked down at the new Cerberus' sleeping body. The new Cerberus fell asleep on his side, drifting away into dreams unknown. The new Cerberus looked so peaceful, so still and snoring, too. Janus almost felt sorry for him.
"Well, come on! Well done!" Helen cried out in a whisper, joining Maximus over by the door, leading into a third room within the Cave, leading into the Underworld.
Jock came up from behind Janus, placing a furry, spotted paw against her back. "Yeah, let's go. Well done!" Jock said, whispering in her ear with such pleasure.
Janus smiled, enduring this moment. She turned to Jock, telling him, also in a whisper, "Thanks. Do you think he's asleep?" Her legs trembled, but not as violently as they did before.
She looked around the room now, spotting the room's stone fireplace, complete with paintings of Hades and his wife, Persephone. Other paintings depicted the souls that were trapped down here, as well as in the Underworld itself. It was a gruesome display. There was also a long wooden table, a few feet away from the brimming, orangish-yellow fire, lit up within the stone fireplace.
Resting on the table, were various loose blank sheets of paper, with some papers already written on. There were a few ink bottles, with one of the ink bottles spewing wet ink all over the table and its papers, as well as a quill box, and a feather quill, coming from a raven's tail, its tip resting inside an already opened ink bottle, filled to the brim with new jet-black ink.
"Janus, come on!" Helen cried, drawing Janus' attention back to the present. "What are you looking at?"
"Um… I—" Janus said, returning her gaze to the table. She mentioned to Helen, "—Has Hades been here before? Some of the ink is dry, other ink is splattered, and there appears to be a message on—"
"Janus, come on!" Jock cried in a whisper, grabbing Janus by the arm. Janus nearly retracted, when Helen grabbed her paw, signaling to her that it was time to go:
"Come on. We have to move! Before Cerberus wakes up!" Helen said, dragging Janus away from the table and away from the new Cerberus.
"Do you think he'll wake up soon?" Janus asked, as she, Helen, and Jock neared the doorway to the third room.
Helen shook her head. "Who knows?"
"Yeah, come on. We've got to go!" Jock whispered to them and to Maximus, as they opened the door and made their way into the third room.
.
Janus slid into the third room. The door closed, before Jock and Maximus had the chance to close it. Jock whispered in Maximus' ear, to calm him down, but to no avail, for Maximus was afraid of his own shadow. Maximus grabbed Jock's paw, trying to find a source of comfort. Only Jock refused, pushing him away.
"Oh, why? You need comfort! I'm your man—eh, dog! Hehe!" Maximus chuckled, leaving Jock annoyed.
"Can we please worry about something else? We're on a mission. A great big mission!" Jock complained, expressing himself to Maximus by putting his paws up in the air for a good measure of support.
Maximus huffed. He was not impressed. "Never mind. Oh well. Looks like I'll have to find somebody else to cuddle with."
Jock clicked his tongue. He was annoyed. "Come on. Let's go find the ladies, before they get themselves into trouble."
"Do you think that could happen?" Maximus asked, as they joined Helen and Janus over by a grey stone table, from which a wooden chest with an oval lid stood.
Jock turned to Janus, approaching her, as they observed their surroundings. "What do you think? Could the artifact be in there?"
Janus shook her head. She was quite permissible. "I don't know. I—"
"What's going on?" Maximus whispered in Helen's ear.
Helen hissed, shaking her head at him. "I don't know. Now, could you please stop it? You're ruining the moment!"
Maximus ruffed, making various mouth motions to mimic Helen out of disappointment, sarcasm, and rage.
But Janus wasn't paying attention to either of them, let alone Jock. No. Instead, Janus turned towards the grey stone floor, spotting a brown Hawk's feather lying on the ground. The feather was so pristine and new that even its tip seemed to have broken off from the rest of the tail feathers well.
Janus knelt on the floor, picking up the Hawk's feather and observing it. At first, nothing happened. Then, a string of images appeared before her eyes, her gaze fixated on them. They showed her many things: a great battle in the sky, several Angels turning into faeries or demons, and some becoming the creatures and beings one could find on the First World. Janus knew what she was getting into, but she needed more.
Then the images stopped. They were all quick and pressing. There was more to this story than she thought or knew. Janus felt sure there would be more to this tale spun, right before her very eyes. She quietly took the feather, putting it away in her robes, for safe keeping. She looked up, standing before the others, as if it was the last thing she could count on.
"Come on. Let's go. We've got what we came for," Janus said, noticing Helen looking at the chest, observing it, and opening it. Janus gasped, realizing what was going on, "Helen, don't! You don't know what it could—do."
It was just then that the chest's teeth appeared, ready to snap at Helen. Helen quickly closed and locked the chest, watching its teeth recoil inside the chest, the chest reverting to an inanimate object once again.
"Mimics," Helen stated, not liking this. She huffed, shaking her head, and leaving the chest alone, "There's sure to be more of them. We'd better move!" She stated to Janus, Jock, and Maximus, heading out of the third room, past the door, and back into the second room, from where the new Cerberus slept.
Helen, Jock, Janus, and Maximus moved silently through the second room, around the new Cerberus. Maximus was close to not making a sound, when his hind paw stepped on a squeaker toy. The toy slowly let out a great big squeal, alerting the new Cerberus and waking him up. The new Cerberus growled at the four travellers, ready to come after them and bite them.
Maximus gulped, not enjoying this.
"Maximus, what did you do?" Helen called out, alarmed and upset. Her rage could be seen a mile wide.
Jock looked at the new Cerberus with fearful eyes. He screamed, "Run!"
All at once, Janus, Jock, Helen, and Maximus sped towards the midway tunnel, climbing up the slope quickly. Maximus was the last to reach the tunnel, only he had a plan. It was then that Janus, Jock, and Helen faced him, nervous about his fate.
"Maximus, no! Maximus, stop! Come back! The Jedi!" Janus cried, not liking leaving him behind.
"No!" Maximus called, knowing what he must do. He turned to each one of his fellow companions, knowing exactly what words to say to them, "Look, you three know each other. You're all friends. I'm a deadweight. I'll only slow you down." He faced the new Cerberus, who was chained to the wall with grey chains and a black spiky collar.
Maximus huffed, warning Janus, Helen, and Jock, "Tell the Jedi Council about me, that I died a hero. Surely, they'll agree."
Jock smirked at Maximus, saying to him, "We'll miss you."
Maximus smirked with cheery eyes. His smile faded, telling them, "Now, go. Go! What are you waiting for? Go!" He ran into the tunnel, right as the new Cerberus chomped on him, with Maximus screaming for his life.
"Maximus, no!" Janus cried, fresh tears in her eyes.
Helen turned to Janus, saying to her, "Janus, Janus. He sacrificed himself to save you! We must go back! The Council will understand. Come on. We have to go!" Helen guided Janus and Jock out of the cave's tunnel and back to the entrance. By the time the trio reached the end of the cave and came out into the open fields, it was already midday.